Cleveland Browns Pay Classy Tribute to Kirk Herbstreit’s Golden Retriever Ben

When Kirk Herbstreit announced the death of his beloved golden retriever Ben two weeks ago after a battle with leukemia and lymphoma, it sent shockwaves through the college football and NFL communities.

Ben was Herbstreit’s infamous travel companion who crashed many college campuses and “Thursday Night Football” broadcasts over the years and often received the royal treatment from whichever stadium he was visiting each week.

Ben made his first appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” back in November 2021 for a Tulsa-Cincinnati game, and he became a staple of broadcasts Herbstreit was on the call for ever since, even getting his own media credentials on a regular basis.

“I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 (of) 1,” Herbstreit posted on X. “He was smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive-and welcoming to all. Always a big smile and a soft tail wag. … God please bless his majestic soul and thank you for putting him in my life for the last 10 years-a true blessing.”

With Herbstreit on the call for Thursday’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns on Amazon Prime Video, the hometown Browns paid tribute to Ben with a care basket complete with dog treats for his other golden retrievers (Ben’s puppies) and a photo of him and Ben with the caption “Chief Happiness Officer” — a moniker Ben had adopted during his travels.